Two Thirds of Enterprises Admit Their “Hybrid” Offices are Not Fit for Purpose, Despite Calling Workers Back

Bad technology is damaging productivity and efficiency, leaving enterprises unable to facilitate effective hybrid working for employees, whether in the office or at home.

New research shows that two thirds (65%) of enterprises admit that their office spaces are not optimised for hybrid working, this is despite a further two thirds (66%) wanting to encourage staff back to the office at least part of the time.

That’s what the results show from our Trusted Connections 2024 report, which surveyed 425 AV professionals at global enterprise-level brands across the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, and the Nordics.

The survey revealed that the complexities of flexible and remote communication may be a factor in the call to return to the office — with a third (28%) of enterprises naming it as a top challenge. Over half of respondents also stated that poor hybrid workflows (57%) and outdated AV technologies (58%) are damaging the productivity of hybrid teams.

To address this, investments in hybrid technology — both in the office and for remote workers — are being prioritised. A third (35%) of those surveyed say they will be investing in remote support/management, 33% in unified communications and collaboration software, and 33% in in-office hybrid meeting rooms.

However, a major stumbling block preventing enterprises from truly seamless hybrid working is access to information. In fact, a quarter (26%) of AV professionals cite a lack of analytics around working practices as a significant barrier to meeting their organisations’ priorities such as ‘increasing efficiency’ (61%) and ‘increasing productivity’ (58%).

As a result, a third (33%) of respondents are already investing in an analytics platform for remote working and a further third (29%) are investing in ‘in-office’ analytics platforms.

Speaking of the challenge hybrid working is still posing for enterprises, Simon Watson, our Global Head of Innovation, said:

“Calling employees back to the office is not a solution to poor hybrid working practices. If anything, it could make things worse.

Effective hybrid working relies on having the right technology in place at home and in the office, and most importantly making sure all these technologies work together seamlessly to give employees the same experience, no matter where they work.

If employers are going to adapt to this shift in corporate culture and ensure that workers are happy and effective, both at home and in the office, it all starts with AV technology. Ultimately, effective hybrid working makes a real, tangible impact on talent acquisition and employee retention that cannot be discounted.”

Statistics show that enterprises that have undergone an AV transformation project within the last year have reported a 42% increase in productivity, a 42% increase in efficiency and a 37% increase in staff retention.

To find out more about our new Trusted Connections 2024 research and to download your own copy, click here.